IP Library Granted Patent US 9,620,671
Granted Patent B2
US 9,620,671 · App. 14/407,241 · Granted Apr 11, 2017

Nitride semiconductor light emitting element and method for manufacturing same

Inventors: Hiroshi Nakatsu (Osaka, JP); Tomoya Inoue (Osaka, JP); Kentaro Nonaka (Osaka, JP); Toshiaki Asai (Osaka, JP); Tadashi Takeoka (Osaka, JP); Yoshihiko Tani (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H01L33/0075H01L33/007H01L33/0025H01L33/06H01L33/12H01L33/22H01L33/24H01L33/32H01L33/025H01L2933/0033
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,620,671
App. No.
14/407,241
Granted
Apr 11, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A nitride semiconductor light emitting element is provided with: a substrate; a buffer layer that is provided on the substrate; a base layer that is provided on the buffer layer; an n-side nitride semiconductor layer that is provided on the base layer; an MQW light emitting layer that is provided on the n-side nitride semiconductor layer; and a p-side nitride semiconductor layer that is provided on the MQW light emitting layer. An x-ray rocking curve half-value width ω (004) with respect to a (004) plane, i.e., the crystal plane of the nitride semiconductor, is 40 arcsec or less, or the x-ray rocking curve half-value width ω (102) with respect to a (102) plane is 130 arcsec or less, and the rate P (80)/P (25) between light output P (25) at 25° C. and light output P (80) at 80° C. with a same operating current is 95% or more.

Claims (34)

1. A nitride semiconductor light emitting element comprising:

a substrate;

a buffer layer that is provided on the substrate;

a foundation layer that is provided on the buffer layer;

an n-type nitride semiconductor layer that is provided on the foundation layer;

a light emitting layer that is provided on the n-type nitride semiconductor layer; and

a p-type nitride semiconductor layer that is provided on the light emitting layer,

wherein an X ray rocking curve half-value width ω (004) of a (004) plane that is a crystal plane of each of the layers of the nitride semiconductor light emitting element is 40 arc sec or less or an X ray rocking curve half-value width ω (102) of a (102) plane is 130 arc sec or less, and

a ratio P (80)/P (25) between a light output P (25) at 25° C. and a light output P (80) at 80° C. with a same operating current is 95% or more.

2. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the nitride semiconductor light emitting element is driven in a high-current region where a current density is 20 A/cm 2 or more.

3. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the buffer layer is formed of AlN or AlON.

4. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the substrate includes a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions arranged between the adjacent concave portions in a surface on which the buffer layer is provided, and

the foundation layer provided on the buffer layer includes: a first foundation layer that is formed on the concave portions of the substrate and that includes a diagonal facet plane; and a second foundation layer that is formed so as to cover the first foundation layer and the convex portions of the substrate.

5. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the light emitting layer is formed with a multiple quantum well where a well layer and a barrier layer are alternatively deposited, and includes four or more undoped barrier layers or lightly doped barrier layers which are doped with an n-type dopant and in which a dopant concentration is 2×10 17 cm −3 or less.

6. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 5 ,

wherein the barrier layer has a thickness equal to or more than 3 nm but equal to or less than 7 nm.

7. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the n-type nitride semiconductor layer includes an intermediate layer below the light emitting layer and includes a multilayer structure member below the intermediate layer,

the intermediate layer is formed by depositing a plurality of nitride semiconductor layers and is formed by alternately depositing a nitride semiconductor layer whose band gap energy is relatively lower than a band gap energy of an adjacent nitride semiconductor layer and a nitride semiconductor layer having a relatively higher band gap energy and

the multilayer structure member is formed by depositing a plurality of nitride semiconductor layers, and is formed by alternately depositing a nitride semiconductor layer which has a thickness more than a thickness of each of the layers of the intermediate layer and whose band gap energy is relatively lower than a band gap energy of an adjacent nitride semiconductor layer and a nitride semiconductor layer which has a thickness more than the thickness of each of the layers of the intermediate layer and whose band gap energy is relatively higher than a band gap energy of an adjacent nitride semiconductor layer.

8. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the n-type nitride semiconductor layer includes a lower n-type nitride semiconductor layer and an n-type nitride semiconductor modulation doped layer formed on the lower n-type nitride semiconductor layer, and

the n-type nitride semiconductor modulation doped layer includes at least a nitride semiconductor layer whose n-type dopant concentration is lower than an n-type dopant concentration of the lower n-type nitride semiconductor layer.

9. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the n-type nitride semiconductor layer includes the lower n-type nitride semiconductor layer and a low-temperature n-type nitride semiconductor layer that is provided on the lower n-type nitride semiconductor layer and that is grown at a temperature which is 50° C. to 400° C. lower than the lower n-type nitride semiconductor layer, and

an n-type dopant concentration of the low-temperature n-type nitride semiconductor layer is 1.1 times as high as an n-type dopant concentration of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer.

10. The nitride semiconductor light emitting element according to claim 7 ,

wherein

the intermediate layer is a superlattice layer that is formed by depositing a plurality of nitride semiconductor layers and that is formed by alternately depositing a nitride semiconductor layer whose band gap energy is relatively lower than a band gap energy of an adjacent nitride semiconductor layer and a nitride semiconductor layer having a relatively higher band gap energy and

in the intermediate layer, at least two nitride semiconductor layers located on a side of the light emitting layer are formed with an n-type semiconductor layer, and an nitride semiconductor layer located on a side of the substrate as compared with the n-type semiconductor layer is formed with an undoped layer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2022
From: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: SHARP FUKUYAMA LASER CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059039/0927 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2014
From: NAKATSU, HIROSHI; INOUE, TOMOYA; NONAKA, KENTARO; ASAI, TOSHIAKI; TAKEOKA, TADASHI; TANI, YOSHIHIKO
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 034545/0668 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-133489 · Jun 13, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150171263A1 · Jun 18, 2015